The Romance of a Shop

By Amy Levy

Book Overview

The Romance of a Shop (1888) is a novel by Amy Levy. Published the year before her tragic death, The Romance of a Shop is the debut novel of a pioneering writer and feminist whose poetry and prose explores the concept of the New Woman while illuminating the realities of Jewish life in nineteenth century London. "The air of desolation which hung about the house had communicated itself in some vague manner to the garden, where the trees were bright with blossom, or misty with the tender green of the young leaves. Perhaps the effect of sadness was produced, or at least heightened, by the pathetic figure that paced slowly up and down the gravel path immediately before the house; the figure of a young woman, slight, not tall, bare-headed, and clothed in deep mourning." Following the unexpected death of their father, sisters Fanny, Gertrude, Lucy, and Phyllis are left with little inheritance and even less hope for the future. On the brink of despair, they join together to launch a photography business, each contributing to the best of their abilities in order to survive. As Lucy begins an apprenticeship with a local photographer, her sisters purchase and prepare their own studio for her return. Despite their efforts, they struggle to convince customers that a shop owned by women can demand the same prices as those run by men. Through perseverance and luck, however, the Lorimers find success as funeral photographers and through their connection to a prominent artist. As romance, illness, and war interrupt their plans, the sisters find solace in their mutual resolve to not only survive, but provide and care for one another. This edition Amy Levy's The Romance of a Shop is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1513295810
• ISBN13: 9781513295817
• Release Date: August 2021
• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A lively mix of realism & romance

Four sisters set up a professional photography studio after the loss of their father and their fortune - a daring act of independence for young women at the end of the nineteenth century. Amy Levy juxtaposes two very different worlds in this novel. The story is quite Victorian in its portrayal of romance and betrayal. At the same time it's a New Woman novel with a talented and resourceful heroine who succeeds in supporting her family. Amy Levy is a great discovery, and I thank Broadview Editions for bringing her back. She's significant as a Jewish woman writer, a fin de siècle novelist - and a thoroughly engaging storyteller. Unfortunately her literary output was cut short. Amy Levy committed suicide at age 27. Despite the melancholia of its author, The Romance of a Shop offers us more happy endings than tragedies, and is ultimately a very pleasant read. As always, Broadview includes lots of historical background material in the appendices. The introduction is cumbersomely written and employs too much scholarly jargon for my taste, but it's thorough and insightful.